Fuquay Varina board approves three budget amendments for arts, K-9 grant and IT equipment

The Fuquay Varina Town Board on March 24 approved three budget amendments that recognize donations to the art center, accept a K-9 grant and fund a large information-technology equipment purchase.

Art Center Director Maureen Daley asked the board to approve budget amendment BA-26-38 to recognize $5,945 in recent gifts: a $3,945 Arts for Municipalities grant from the United Arts Council designated for programming (the Icons of Jazz series) and a $2,000 donation from the Friends of the Art Center to support a residency by specialist Dr. Kevin Spencer. "This year, the grant award was $3,945 and goes specifically to support the work of Christian Timbre," Daley said, adding that the Friends' gift will help the center provide free programming for local schools. The motion to adopt BA-26-38 was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote.

Police Chief Smith presented BA-26-42, recognizing a $7,500 grant from AKC Reunite to assist the department in acquiring a replacement police canine. The chief said the department applied in January 2026, was awarded the grant in February and plans a formal introduction after the canine completes training, likely in June. "The department was awarded $7,500 through this grant to assist in acquiring a new police canine," Chief Smith said. The board approved BA-26-42 by voice vote.

IT Director Clark briefed the board on BA-26-40, a $231,440 transfer from the general fund to the IT equipment line to purchase computer hardware. Clark said the town aims to combine this year's replacement program with next year's purchases because chip and memory shortages have driven prices up; the request covers roughly 105 computers, about a quarter of the town's fleet, and is intended to lock in current pricing. "A lot of chip manufacturers are allocating production to AI data centers," Clark said, adding that lead times are estimated at one to two months. After brief questions about timing and the fleet mix, the board approved the amendment by voice vote.

Each of the three items was presented with supporting detail and approved during the regular meeting. Implementation steps include executing procurement for the IT purchase and scheduling a public introduction for the new K-9 after training. No member requested roll-call vote counts in the public record during these items; approvals were recorded as voice votes during the meeting.

Next steps: staff will proceed with procurement as authorized and coordinate public-facing events (K-9 introduction).